A bit out of the loop

A bit out of the loop

Chris Allen left Canada to work for Nissan Infiniti in Tokyo. He returned to Toronto to find that many employers seemed to favour Canadian experience over other merits.Photo by
Tyler Anderson

TORONTO — When Kim-Tien Huynh left her hometown of Montreal in 2005 to study and work in China, she braced herself for some of the cultural shocks the country is infamous for: crowded places, language barriers and fears of falling victim to China's many traffic accidents.

Five years later, Huynh felt her time in China was up. She packed her bags to return to Canada — only to be hit with an even bigger shock when she started working again.

"There's a big difference in the rhythm of work in Canada and China," Huynh said. "The cultural shock feels even bigger — you expect it when you leave Canada, but not when you come back."

Huynh is not alone. For many expats, returning to Canada after a lengthy time working overseas can feel foreign. From changing physical landscapes to differences in business norms, the previously familiar suddenly feels unfamiliar.

A returnee's ability to adapt can have a big impact not only on their success at a company, but also whether they can kick start their career in Canada.

"Brain drain and talent leaving for other opportunities abroad is a longstanding issue in Canada," said Wayne Pommen, financial and professional services stream lead for Toronto Homecoming, an organization dedicated to helping Torontonians living abroad find work at home.

"We have some of our most talented people going on international assignments, and if they see too many barriers to returning, Canada could lose them permanently."

An initial and major hurdle is landing a job. Much like the experience of new immigrants, a common complaint is employers valuing Canadian experience over other merits.

"You don't hear that as much in the United States, so you have to be primed to handle this in job interviews and discussions here," said Chris Allen, who moved back to Toronto after working in Tokyo for Nissan Infiniti.

Allen got over that hurdle by attending a Toronto Homecoming conference in 2010, a networking event that connects employers with Canadians living abroad. The four-day event eventually helped him get hired as KPMG Canada's director of management consulting.

After living abroad for about eight years, Allen also admits he "felt a bit out of the loop" when he returned to Toronto with his wife and two year-old son. "I didn't realize how much had changed. New neighbourhoods had popped up like Liberty Village. Family day had become a new holiday," he said.

He also noticed a big difference in workplace communication. While working in Japan, he became accustomed to more indirect, nonverbal communication methods. "In Toronto it's very straight and direct," Allen said. "You can just make a bold statement — that was an adjustment I had to make."

Huynh, who now works as a special events co-ordinator for the Montreal Children's Hospital Foundation, agrees that being aware of such differences is key to a successful transition.

"I have to readjust — I can't expect others to adapt to what I've been used to," Huynh said. "It's really a matter of being disciplined, asking a lot of questions and filling in the gaps of information you might not be aware of."

At the same time, employers can leverage the international experience these employees have. Huynh argues that while many employers may believe an individual's international skills or network was only useful in their previous assignment country, it couldn't be further from the truth.

"The network I made in China is still helping me today in Montreal," said Huynh, who was an events and marketing manager for the Canadian Chamber of Commerce in Shanghai. "A lot of the Canadians I met, for example, are people who will come back here too."

Reintegrating into the Canadian workforce isn't all about work, though. One of the most important steps for returning expatriates is to get out there and be social.

"My advice is that you need to network like crazy and build bridges back into the city, whether it's through a mechanism like Toronto Homecoming or your own personal network," Allen said.

"Toronto is a relatively challenging job market because it's more local than some other cities. It's not the easiest transition to make," he added.

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